Safety device for electric signals.



PATENTED OCT. 2, 1906.

F. B. COREY.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC. SIGNALS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE16.1904.

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' By my invention UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

FRED B. COREY, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SAFETY DEVlOE FOR ELECTRlCS-IGNALSL Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented Oct. 2, 1906.

T0 all w/wm it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED B. COREY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Electric Signals, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to signal systems, and is particularly applicable to railway block syutems employing electric lights for the signa s.

The object of my invention is to provide means for preventing an accident in case a lamp is accidentally extinguished from an cause. Where electricity is available, it is more convenient and economical to employ it for lightin the si Hal-lamp than to use gas or oil but ieretore electricity has been used very little for block-si nal systems on account of the reater liabi ity of an accidental extinguishing of a light as compared with a gas or oil lam provide means for giv- 1ng warning to a assing train if the light becomes accidental y extinguished, and thereby-Jender the use of electricity for signal systems fully as safe as the use of gas or .oil.

My invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows diagrammatically a protective system for electric signal-lights arranged in accordance with my invention, and Fig. 2 shows a modified arrangement.

In 1, L represents an electric light.

mounte n the semaphore-post S. and energized from a battery or other suitable source of current B. A represents a magnet-winding connected in series with the lamp L. The armature a of the ma net-windin the circuit of a secon magnetw1nding A, which is connected in shunt to current. magnet-winding is mounted on the long arm of a bell-crank lever C, the short arm of which is ada ted to engage a notch h on a wheel or disk An electric motor M is geared to the disk H by the trolled bythe bell-crank lever C. The disk H, which is provided with a wei ht w, tending to rotate it in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1, is mounted on a shaft. (2, to which is secured analarm device lamp 1s again controls the source of. The armature a of this second.

gears G and its circuit con D, which may be placed beside the rail R as shown in Fig.2, andarrangedwhen raised vice D is provided with a second weight W, "which assists the weight w in .rotati the shaft (1 when the bell-crank lever C is isengaged from the slot h.

The operation is then as follows: The several parts are shown in Fig. 1 in their normal positions, which they occupy when the lamp is lighted. Now if the lamp L is extinguished either by a failure of the source'or by an opening of the circuit either in or outside of the lamp the magnet-winding A is deenergized and allows its armature a to fall. Tlus opens the circuit of the second magnet-wind ing A, which allows its armature a to fall, rocking bell-crank lever C and disenga H10 1t from the notch h in the disk H. The s ai t d is conse uently free to turn under the infiu-' ence of t e weights W and w, and the trip D is raised into ts vertical position to give warning to a assing train. N ow when the hted by remedying whatever defect existed t e magnet-winding A is again energized and again raises its armature a to the position shown. The second magnet-j winding A is consequently again energized;

but it is unable to ralse its armature a,.since the short arm of the bell-crank lever Cis not opposite the notch h, but is held pressed upward by the peri hery of the disk H. The long arm of the hell-crank lever closes the circuit of the motor M, so that when armature a is moved to its closed position the mo-,

tor M is energized and rotates shaft (1 against the torque exerted by the weights W and w until the notch h is a ain brought tppOSltfi the short arm of bel -crank lever short arm of the lever is immediately forced into the notch by the pull upon the long arm exerted bythe winding A. The motor-circuit is consequently opened, allowing the shaft (1 to stop in the position shown, and the bell-crank lever C acts as a latch to hold the shaft (1 in this position by means of its en'- gagement with the notch h.- The parts are thus restored to their normal position. It will be seenthat the'alarm device D goes automatically toits da or position upon the breaking. of any one 3% the electric circuits all the electrores onsive devices being use The either to return t e alarm device to its safetv Absolute protection is thus afiorded, a failure in the lamp or in any one of the electrore-.

sponsive devices or in any one of their circuits resulting only in the stopping of the tram.

In Fig. 2 I have shown a somewhat simplifled form, the motor being omitted and the alarm device being restored to safety position by hand. The armature a of winding A controls the circuit of a second magnetwinding E, the armature e of which acts as a latch for the alarm device D. As shown in the drawin s, the magnet-winding E acts to withdraw the latch e to allow the member D to go to safety position. If preferred, however, the winding E may be arranged to hold the latch e in safety,positi0n against a spring or weight, as in Fig. 1. In addition to or in place of the trip D any other alarm device may be ernployed as, for instance, an alarmbell F, which is shown in Fig. 2 connected in parallel to the magnet-winding E.

Other modifications may be made in the arrangement of the parts of the system, and I aim in the appended claims to cover all such modifications which are within the scope of my invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is 1. In arailway signal system, a semaphore-- signal, an electric lamp for lighting sald signal, an electroresponsive device 1n circuit with said lam and an alarm device adapted to be engage by a passing train and controlled by said electroresponsive device.

2. In a railway signal system, a semaphoresignal, an electric lamp for lighting said signal, an alarm device adapted to' be engaged by a passing train, and .electro'responsive means operative upon failure of current in said lamp for moving said device into position to be en aged by a train.

3. n a railwaysignal system, asemaphoresignal, an electric lam for lighting said signal, an alarm device a apted to give warning said evice to danger position, means for restraining said device 1n safety position, and

nal, a magnet-winding connected in series with said lam and an alarm device adapted. to be engage by a passing train control d by said magnet-windin 5. In a railway signaIsystem, a semaphore assing train, means tend ng to move.

permit to move to danger signal, an electric lamp for lighting said signal, an alarm device adapted to give warning to a passing train, means tending to move said device to danger position, means for restraining said device in safety position, a magnet-winding connected in series with said lamp, and means controlled by said magnetwinding for releasing said device to permit it to move to danger position.

6. In a railway signal system, asemaphore signal, an electric lamp for lighting said signal, an alarm device adapted to give warning to a assing train, means tending to move said (ibvice to danger position, a latch for restraining said device in safety position, a magnet-winding connected in series with said lamp, and means controlled by said magnetwinding for tripping said latch.

7. In arailway signal system, asemaphoresignal, an electric lamp for lighting said signal, an alarm device adapted to give warning to a assing train, means tending to move said evice to danger position, a latch for restraining said device in safety position, a magnet-winding connected inseries with said lamp, means controlled by said magnet winding for tripping said latch, elec'troresponsive means controlled by'said magnetwinding for returning said device to safety position, and means for breaking the circuit of said electroresponsive means when said device is restored to safety position.

8. The combination with the light of a railway-signal, a circuit adapted to ,be opened when it is extinguished, and a safety apparatus comprising a trip and a part controlled from said circuit which, when the circuit is opened, permits'the trip to move to its oper ative position. a

9. The combination with the light of a railway-si nal, a circuit ada ted'to be opened when the light is extingu'is ed, a safety ap aratus comprising a trip and an electrica yoperated part included in said circuit, which part when the circuit "is opened permits the trip to move to its operative position.

10. The combination with an electric light of a railway-signal, a circuit therefor, a safety apparatus comprising a trip and controlled from said circult and said safety apparatus being adapted when said circult is opened to set its trip to its operative position.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of June,'1 904.

FRED B. COREY. 

